im in love with you
by leighismyname
Summary: in which a fun night turns solemn as friends admit love for friends who can't love them back. The short story of a romance that could never be. percabeth


"I'm in love with you." The words slide off his tongue like molasses, slow and easy. His voice is rough and soft, like it's a relief to finally say them, but it hurts knowing what comes next.

She stops laughing slowly, her brows furrow slightly. "What?"

He chuckles humorlessly, his hand goes up behind his neck, rubbing it embarrassedly. "Sorry, it's just - Well, I'm leaving soon and I really needed to say that- I really needed you to hear it."

She retracts from him. "I'm with Luke, I-I love Luke," she says hesitantly, almost as if she doesn't even believe what she's saying.

He defends, cringing at how horrible this is going, "I know you do, but I just needed you to hear that."

She frowns for a few moments, letting it sink in. When she speaks again, her voice is soft and small, very light yet heavy at the same time, it sounds how the cool night breeze feels against them. "I don't know what to say."

Shamefully, tears form in his eyes. He inwardly curses at himself for appearing as such a fool in front of her. "You don't have to," he says with a sickeningly sad smile, "I already know how this one plays out."

She swallows, and fiddles with her hands, desperate for another moments ago when they were joking and laughing together; friends. "Listen, I really appreciate our friendship, and I know it's my fault that you might've thought that-"

"No, no," he chuckles, but a tear slides down his cheek. "Don't blame yourself. I'm sorry I misinterpreted our friendship."

They stare at each other for a moment more. He, with tears in his eyes, and her, a frown on her face, both their hearts breaking into shards like glass.

"See you in six months," he says, then he's gone.

* * *

 _Why did he have to do that_ , she asks herself, forcing the tears back.

And why did she have to love him, yet commit herself to another man?

None of it made sense, yet it all really did.

She loved him, a long time ago, but as time went on she had to stop, and in doing so, she fell for the underdog best friend, Luke Castellan. And in truth, he is a great man and he will make a wonderful partner to someone who isn't her. But when _he_ said he loved her, she felt everything come back.

In the apartment complex, the lobby was always the quietest, especially after midnight. The guard was in the back room, probably sleeping over the security cameras, the secretary had gone home, and the doors locked from the inside. It's vacant, and she uses that to her own woeful advantage.

She sits on the plush couch, right on the edge, digging her fingers into the upholstery, forcing the tears back, but to no good it is. They spill anyway.

After just a few vulnerable moments, she wipes the tears gone and takes a deep breath. She's sure she looks like a child who just got their toys taken. What with tear-stained cheeks and red eyes.  
She hears footsteps and looks up to see him. She stands and takes a step towards him, "Percy, please-"

In one swift move, he had put a hand on her waist and his lips on hers. She froze, but placed a hand tentatively on his arm. He pulls away for just a moment to look into her eyes, then kisses her again.

She puts a hand on his chest and pushes him away. In an attempt to save the feeling, she rubs her lips together casually.

He puts his forehead against hers and she leans into him. "I'm sorry," he whispers pathetically, "but I've wanted to do that for years."

She smiles sadly. "Me too." The 'but' hung in the air like thick fog. "But I'm with Luke," she whispers it so quietly, if anyone were in the room, only he would've heard it.

He pulls away still, until not an inch of them were touching anymore. "But you're with Luke."

It being said out loud was enough to make her want to cry again.

Luke is a wonderful boyfriend. He is everything anyone could ever ask for, and she loves him, but more as a friend than anything. And that fact hurt her more than anything.

Pathetic tears fall from her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Percy."

He wipes her tears and takes her hands. "In another world."

And then he's gone.

In another world, she thinks.

Another world and they'd be together, happy and without pain.

* * *

 **hi hello how are you**

 **so i wrote this a while back with different names, if you know what i mean. But i just had to upload something because for some reason im in the publishing/writing mood but i also have to go back to school on monday so i literally have only today and tomorrow to write as much as possible which is scary considering the amount of hw i have to do.**

 **yes, this was based almost entirely off _that_ scene in the office. there is actually a couple direct quotes from that episode. If you don't know what i'm talking about there's a show called The Office and a character Jim confesses his love to Pam who is engaged. if you want to see that clip go on youtube and search "jim confesses his love to pam - the office us". click on the first video, there you go. **

**i stupidly started possibly one of the best stories ive ever written while im in the process of finishing another amazing story and that freaking sucks because if you're an author you know how dangerous it is to write two stories at once.**

 **anyway i hope you're having a sub par saturday. (i'll see you friday with 'nothing but my aching soul' chapter 5)**

 **\- leigh**


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